Merged: Single Engine Acft Prang - Brooker Hwy Hobart
Whilst I'd normally suggest that the cop has no idea I'm kinda thinking he's not far off the mark with this one. For me a road would be the last place I'd go for as apparently he had a long glide time and had options available.
I'm not making any judgement on the pilot's decision to land on the highway, but here's a map of the area showing the proximity to fields close by. A news article says it crash landed near Cleary Gates and the photo above shows the turn off to Park St so this should give an idea of where the forced landing area is located.
Google Map of the area.
Google Map of the area.
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Whilst I'd normally suggest that the cop has no idea I'm kinda thinking he's not far off the mark with this one. For me a road would be the last place I'd go for as apparently he had a long glide time and had options available.
From my recollection of having flown the 100HP one, I always thought they should have put some plexi-glass in the floor so you could judge the aiming point better . The 150Hp one might only glide a tiny bit better due to slightly extra weight.
He did pretty good under the circumstances. I certainly wouldn't like the chances he was presented with
While one could say that he should have been high enough to be able to glide to safety in the event of an engine failure, I would contend that for most places around Hobart, a Victa's service ceiling isn't high enough to ensure that.
and no-one else is pointing out that this is the same Victa that was landed on a beach a couple of months ago... quite the history this one...
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Ghost W said....
Comments withdrawn - incorrect source.
and no-one else is pointing out that this is the same Victa that was landed on a beach a couple of months ago... quite the history this one...
Last edited by triadic; 5th Apr 2010 at 12:46.
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triadic, this was the same aircraft but the previous incident where the aircraft was landed on a beach was not engine related. The one yesterday was.
tinpis, yep they sure are tough little buggers.
The wing was torn off quite close to the cockpit but there is no obvious damage to the fuselage apart from scrapes although may be some where the spar runs through under the cockpit. There was no rippling down the sides of the fuselage and the canopy still slid easily on the tracks.
For those of you who looked at the Google Map, you need to slide it northwards until you can see the quarter cloverleaf flyover on the Brooker Highway. The site was just to the south (or to the bottom of the frame) of that intersection.
For those who think that the site labelled Cornelian Bay Sports Ground would be the best option, there are tall trees on the approach from over the water and power lines; the Brooker Highway is built on an earth embankment on the far side with light posts on both sides; the site marked Stainforth Court is public housing flats and is built on higher ground; the Cornelian Bay cemetery is built on high ground. The other sports fields there are not an option and the hockey grounds are surrounded by lamp standards for playing night games.
A very experienced Victa pilot may have been able to get down on the Cornelian Bay Sports Ground but would need to have been absolutely exact with their flying. The option chosen by the pilot yesterday was, in my opinion better given all the circumstances.
tinpis, yep they sure are tough little buggers.
The wing was torn off quite close to the cockpit but there is no obvious damage to the fuselage apart from scrapes although may be some where the spar runs through under the cockpit. There was no rippling down the sides of the fuselage and the canopy still slid easily on the tracks.
For those of you who looked at the Google Map, you need to slide it northwards until you can see the quarter cloverleaf flyover on the Brooker Highway. The site was just to the south (or to the bottom of the frame) of that intersection.
For those who think that the site labelled Cornelian Bay Sports Ground would be the best option, there are tall trees on the approach from over the water and power lines; the Brooker Highway is built on an earth embankment on the far side with light posts on both sides; the site marked Stainforth Court is public housing flats and is built on higher ground; the Cornelian Bay cemetery is built on high ground. The other sports fields there are not an option and the hockey grounds are surrounded by lamp standards for playing night games.
A very experienced Victa pilot may have been able to get down on the Cornelian Bay Sports Ground but would need to have been absolutely exact with their flying. The option chosen by the pilot yesterday was, in my opinion better given all the circumstances.
The TV news keeps saying he's a RAAF trainee - obviously not a RAAF aircraft, so is he AirTC, a RAAFie doing some weekend flying in a VH aircraft or is it just the great journalism we know and love wrt flying stories?
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According to news reports he was "recently accepted into the RAAF" and was home for the Easter break. Flying over the Hobart CBD a few weeks ago I was looking around at places to make a forced landing, obviously there are very few options available. One of the best places in my opinion is the area of grass around the Hobart Cenotaph, though that might not have been reachable. It's hard to say whether he took the best option or not as know one knows what his actual height or position was when the engine failed. All's well that ends well.
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The 150Hp one might only glide a tiny bit better due to slightly extra weight.
Bit like Max Power...there are three ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way and the Max Power way.
Isn't that the wrong way?
Yeah, but faster.
I love the mainstream media letters.
Trainee pilot crashes on busy highway | The Australian
Read what Graeme of Tara reckons should happen to young Patrick. I predict Graeme will turn out to be either retired CASA or RAAF navigator.
Wanchor.
Read what Graeme of Tara reckons should happen to young Patrick. I predict Graeme will turn out to be either retired CASA or RAAF navigator.
Wanchor.
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Not unless they changed the wing - it would simply go down the same angle but faster.
However, the fractionally different speed may have served better into a head wind. (yes, academic I know, but it WAS a throw away line
).Looking at the aircraft and his options, I think it was a terrific job.
have done 13 forced landings now, (not counting about the three thousand+ in gliders) and none were anywhere near that challenging.
And yes the Victa is a tough old bird
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From The Australian site previously mentioned:
It was a VICTA, not a Victor; there has been nothing stated that he was performing aerobatics over the city; it has not been stated WHEN the engine failed and if the circling was before or after said failure. Why so keen to saddle up the tumbril and prepare Madame Guilotine? Perhaps we could await some FACTS from the people who will be investigating the incident, and in the meantime celebrate that the guy survived and no-one was hurt - unlike the ultralite crash on the same day that claimed a life
.
Graeme Henderson of Tara Posted at 10:13 AM Today
Luck is not worthy of praise. There were alternative tight landing sites that did not involve risking innocent lives, a half decent pilot would not have wasted time and height circling once the engine failed. There was also the water. Also, conducting aerobatics in a place with no available good landing area around it is arrogant and dangerous, he was showing off and not displaying good airmanship at all. In the process he destroyed a beautiful little Victor. Not a hero at all, just lucky to get out unhurt. Take his wings off him.
Luck is not worthy of praise. There were alternative tight landing sites that did not involve risking innocent lives, a half decent pilot would not have wasted time and height circling once the engine failed. There was also the water. Also, conducting aerobatics in a place with no available good landing area around it is arrogant and dangerous, he was showing off and not displaying good airmanship at all. In the process he destroyed a beautiful little Victor. Not a hero at all, just lucky to get out unhurt. Take his wings off him.
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In the heat of the moment I think the kid did a great job.
to one side there were wooded areas, so no point landing there and as for the fields on the other side, how long are they exactly and how can you be sure you have enough room to stop, also were there any people on the fields?
for an inexperienced pilot he is obviously going to aim for something that resembles a runway as close as possible, a long straight bitumen road looks similar to a runway so he knows he is going to have enough room to stop. Guess what, it was a text book forced landing, he walked away and no one was hurt which is exactly what the aim of a forced landing is to achieve
The Cop should be ridiculed for making comments on a matter he has no experience in.
Good work to the young pilot.
to one side there were wooded areas, so no point landing there and as for the fields on the other side, how long are they exactly and how can you be sure you have enough room to stop, also were there any people on the fields?
for an inexperienced pilot he is obviously going to aim for something that resembles a runway as close as possible, a long straight bitumen road looks similar to a runway so he knows he is going to have enough room to stop. Guess what, it was a text book forced landing, he walked away and no one was hurt which is exactly what the aim of a forced landing is to achieve
The Cop should be ridiculed for making comments on a matter he has no experience in.
Good work to the young pilot.
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Graeme of Tara is basing his opinions on a seriously flawed report. Any opinion on what will happen to the pilot based on that opinion will be even more seriously flawed.
I suspect that the RAAF now has a very good idea of how this young man reacts under extreme pressure and will take that into account when deciding where he should be placed.
I suspect that the RAAF now has a very good idea of how this young man reacts under extreme pressure and will take that into account when deciding where he should be placed.
"I suspect that the RAAF now has a very good idea of how this young man reacts under extreme pressure and will take that into account when deciding where he should be placed."
Indeed - they'll send him off to VIP.
Indeed - they'll send him off to VIP.
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for an inexperienced pilot he is obviously going to aim for something that resembles a runway as close as possible, a long straight bitumen road looks similar to a runway so he knows he is going to have enough room to stop.
The ovals and hockey grounds were not an option. There are goal posts and light standards around them as well as very limiting approaches which include blocks of flats, grandstands, trees and the Hobart Domain, a fairly substantial piece of real estate that could really mess up your day.
The objective of a forced landing is to ensure the safest outcome. If the aeroplane is damaged when it didn't have to be then the forced landing could've been better (less risky) even if there was no-one hurt.
I'm not saying this was the case here, though, its hard to comment on the merits of the action taken without knowing the full circumstances. Looks like the pilot put in place the procedures he was taught, hit nothing while airborne, landed under control and directed traffic once on the ground
and deserves credit for doing so.
However, the fractionally different speed may have served better into a head wind. (yes, academic I know, but it WAS a throw away line).
I really only commented so i could get the Homer quote in, one of my favourites...
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"have done 13 forced landings now..."
Ever thought of changing the plugs?
Ever thought of changing the plugs?
Actually on a couple of them, the plugs disappeared along with the cylinder head, (Gipsy major) so they got changed then.